New Images of Enceladus Show More Plumes and Heat

The Cassini spacecraft’s November flyby of Saturn’s moon Enceladus has revealed new features including at least 20 more icy plumes spewing from the moon’s southern pole.

New infrared data gives scientists the highest resolution temperature map of one particular warm fissure called a “tiger stripe.” The moon’s four tiger stripes are fractures that spew a mix of ice particles, water vapor and organic compounds into space. They are a key clue for scientists trying to figure out if small moon harbors a liquid water ocean under its frosty surface. Now, scientists know that their temperatures can exceed 180 Kelvin (minus 135 degrees Fahrenheit).

“The fractures are chilly by Earth standards, but they’re a cozy oasis compared to the numbing 50 Kelvin (-370 Fahrenheit) of their surroundings,” said John Spencer, a composite infrared spectrometer team member based at Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado.

“The huge amount of heat pouring out of the tiger stripe fractures may be enough to melt the ice underground,” Spencer said. “Results like this make Enceladus one of the most exciting places we’ve found in the solar system.”

Enceladus is obviously too distant for the sun heat the moon to temperatures that could keep water in its freely flowing phase. Instead, the planet’s warmth appears to result from “tidal heating.” Saturn’s gravitational force deforms the satellite as it rotates. The back-and-forth pull heats up the satellite like a human repeatedly bending a spoon.

The new detailed temperature map of the tiger stripe, “Baghdad Sulcus,” shows that the temperature varies along the length of the fracture. The warm spots are confined to an area just half a mile across. For those hoping to find simple extraterrestrial life within our solar system, those might be the most interesting canyons outside planet Earth.

More images of this remarkable celestial object below.

The area that was examined in detail in the image above is highlighted here.

Enceladus is just 310 miles in diameter, but may have the most easily accessible liquid ocean beyond Earth.

This close-up 3-D view of the Baghdad Sulcus shows 10 miles of the fracture in dramatic relief.

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